noonan



J. C. NOONAN & G. W. YOUNG.

Gas Apparatus.

No. 234.198. Patented Nov. 9,1880.

N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASmNGYON. D C.

JOHN C. NOONAN AND GEORGE W. YOUNG, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.

GAS APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,198, dated November 9, 1880.

Application filed October 29, 1879. l

same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part hereof.

The nature of our invention will be fully set forth in the following specication and claim. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my apparatus 5 Fig. 2, a vertical crosssectional view of the retorts in which the gas is generated Fig. 3, a longitudinal sectional view of the valve regulating the ow of gas from the retorts to the receiver.

A is the pipe or conduit passing from the oil-reservoir to retort B. B C are retorts connected by a pipe, N, for vaporizing the oil as it passes into them D, a valve to receive the gas from retort C through connecting-pipe D and to regulate'its flow through pipe D to the receiver E. F is a gas-pipe passing from the interior of the receiver E and terminating in cross branch pipes F F upon the end of each of which is a burner to heat the retorts B and C. G is a stem to open and close valve D; H, a lever pivoted at I to operate the valvestem G; J, an arm attached by one end to the lever H and at the other hinged to the upper edge of the inner cylinder of the receiver E; K, a bent band-spring to assist in throwing up the lever H. L is a loose packing within the retorts B and C, which is sustained and prevented from bunching or clogging by a spiral wire, M. For this packing l use asbestus.

N is a tube or pipe which connects the two retorts. It B, Fig. 3, are holes or openings to permit air to enter the valve D, which air mixes with the gas passing from the valve in a proportion determined by the size of the holes.

O O are weights secured by a chain to the outer cylinder of the receiver at the points O vO'. This chain is passed over pulleys P P P,

which are secured to the movable inner cylinder of the receiver in the manner shown in Fig. 1, whereby the weights counteract the tendency of the said inner cylinder to rise from the pressure of the contained gas. These weights are composed of hollow cylinders loaded or weighted with leaden shot. By increasing or diminishing the number of shot in the cylinders O O the weight of the latter can be regulated.

S is a vertical diametrical division in the bottom of the receiver E, which prevents the inner cylinder of the receiver from settling down below the point at which the gas is received through pipe D.

T T are tubular guides attached vertically to the outer surface of the outer cylinder ot1 the receiver E, into which guides the rods U fit, the rods U being each rigidly attached at one end to the upper edge of the inner cylinder of the receiver, the other ends projecting down into the guides T T, so that as theinner cylinder rises and falls it is prevented from making any laterally-revolving motion.

V is a main pipe or conduit leading from the gas-receiver AE to the burners of the building which the apparatus is used to illuminate. W is a support or standard for sustaining the retorts.

The operation of our apparatus is as follows: We use gasoline, naphtha, or any of the wellknown volatile oils from which to manufacture our gas. This oil is contained in a vessel or reservoir, from which the pipe A is a conduit, and we prefer that this vessel shall be set so high that its contents will flows through pipe A into the retorts B and G of its own gravity. The retorts B and O are first heated by a lamp, lamps, or other means, and as the oil liows into them from pipe Ait will be volatilized by the heat, and the vapor generated will pass through valve D and pipe D into the receiver E. After suiiicient gas has passed into receiver E to create a slight pressure therein, it will begin to pass to the burners F F" through the pipe F. When this occurs the burners under -the retorts B and C are lighted, and the heat from the burners is utilized to heat the retorts. Now, as fresh cool oil is continually coming into retort B through pipe A, the heat from the burner F .will scarcely suffice to produce gas fast enough to supply a large establishment. So, to insure a good result, we have provided the supplemental retort C, into which the partiallyf am@ heated oil passes from retort B through pipe N. Here all the nnconverted oil is volatilized, and the gas passes through pipe D into valve D, and thence through pipe 1) into receiver E. As the volume of gas in receiver E increases the inner cylinder of the receiver will rise by the pressure thus created, and arm J up with it. As this arln is raised it draws up the end of the lever H, to which it is attached. This has a tendency to throw the other end ofthe lever down, and thus to push in the valve-stem G; and we so graduate the length of' arm J and the action ot' lever I1 that When the receiver has received all the gas which it will hold the rising ot that end ot' lever H next to the receiver will have pushed the stem G and its valve into the valve'seat so far as to have closed the latter. The inner end of stem G is conical, and tits in a conical seat, through which the gas tiows from the valve-chamber into pipe 1)', and when the conical end of the stein is forced into its seat the ow of gas into the pipe 1) will be stopped thereby. The burners F F, however, will keep burning, being supplied with gas from the receiver, and as the gas in the receiver bccomes less in volume by these means, or by an escape of gas through the gas-main pipe V, the inner cylinder, being partially relieved from the pressure which sustained it, will fall or sink to a certain extent, thus forcing down the arm J and operating-lever H, so as to open the Valve D by pulling out the steril Gto such an extent as to open the hole in the valve-seat. This action will permit the passage ot' more gas from the retort C to the receiver, by which means the supply of gas in the receiver will be sustained.

It will thus be seen that our apparatus is will carry the automatic in its action. The supply of gas in the receiver will regulate the flow of gas to it.

We use asbestus for our packing L in the retorts; but cotton or other suitable fibrous material may he used, if desired. The spring K, by its constant pressure upon the lever H, keeps this lever steady and assists in raising it when the inner cylinder of the receiver rises.

ln Fig. 3 it will be seen that the valve I) has a large space to receive the gas. We have found in practice that this space permits the gas to tlow regularly; whereas if all the space were conlined and narrow from the generators to the receiver the gas would pass through ir regularly and in pul's. The packing L in the retorts keeps the the oil therein well distributed and insures its more ready volatilization.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- The combination of two retorts, B and C, to generate the gas, regulating-valve I), having air'holes R R and located in the pipe or tube 1)', which conducts the gas from the retorts to the receiver, lever H, receiver E, having a vertically-moving cylinder which operates the lever lI to close and open valve I). and a pipe, F, having a stop-cock upon it and leading from the receiver E to the burner F', whereby, while the flow of gas from the retort to the receiver is automatically regulated, that from the receiver to the burners is continuous so long as any gas remains in the receiver, substantially as described.

JOHN C. NOONAN. GEORGE W. YOUNG. Witnesses:

GEORGE E. BUCKLEY, HENRY V. BUCKLEY. 

